TEFA Lottery and Priority Tiers: How to Get in Line for 2027–28

By My Learning Source · October 12, 2026 · Scholarships, Announcements, Guides

Missed out on Texas Education Freedom Accounts this year? You're not alone, and you're not out of the game. Applications for the 2026–27 school year are closed. But the 2027–28 interest list is open right now. If you want a shot at next year, today is the day to start paying attention.

Here's what you need to know about how families actually get in.

It's Not First Come, First Served

Let's clear something up. Getting a TEFA account isn't guaranteed just because you applied. If applications exceed funding, a lottery decides placement. Senate Bill 2 in 2025 provided

billion for the program. That's a lot of money. It's also a fixed number. Nearly 73,000 accounts received initial funding on July 1, 2026. When the money's spoken for, it's spoken for.

And the lottery doesn't treat every household the same. It runs through priority tiers.

How the 2026–27 Priority Tiers Worked

For 2026–27, the priority order looked like this:

First: children with a disability in households at or below 500% of the federal poverty level. Second: households at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, which the Comptroller put at about $66,000 a year for a family of four. Third: households between 200% and 500% of the federal poverty level. Fourth: households above 500% of the federal poverty level.

Now, a word of caution. Those tiers are the 2026–27 order. The state sets the rules, and rules can change. Before you assume where you'll land for 2027–28, check the official site.

A Katy Family Gets in Line

Meet the Ramirez family in Katy. Two kids, ages 7 and 10, homeschooled since the pandemic. Last spring, they heard about TEFA too late and never applied. Their neighbor down the street did, and her homeschooled son's account got

,000 on July 1, 2026. That stung.

(A composite example — names and details are illustrative, drawn from situations homeschool families commonly describe.)

So this fall, Sofia Ramirez got organized. She joined the 2027–28 interest list. She pulled together what she'd need to show where the family's income falls against the federal poverty level, so she wouldn't be scrambling later. She read up on the approved expenses so she'd know exactly what she'd do with an award if one came. And she set a reminder to check the official site regularly for application news.

Is she guaranteed a spot? No. Nobody is. But she's done everything within her control.

One Rule That Can Cost You a Tier

Here's something every family should know before making a big school decision. A child stays eligible for TEFA until they enroll in a Texas public or open-enrollment charter school. And a family that leaves TEFA for public school drops to a lower priority tier the next year.

Think about what that means. If you're in the program and you're tempted to try public school for a semester, that move can hurt your odds of getting back in. It's not a reason to never make that choice. It's a reason to make it with your eyes open.

And who's eligible in the first place? The basics: your child must be a U.S. citizen or national, or lawfully admitted. You must live in Texas. And your child must be eligible to attend a Texas public or open-enrollment charter school, or its pre-K or kindergarten. The program covers pre-K through high school.

Your Action Plan

Join the 2027–28 interest list now; it's open.
Figure out roughly where your household income sits relative to the federal poverty level.
If your child has a disability, gather current documentation; that group sat in the top tier for 2026–27.
Think hard before moving a TEFA child into public school, since it can drop your tier the next year.
Learn the approved-expense list so you're ready to act fast if awarded.
Bookmark our Texas Education Freedom Accounts guide for official links and updates.

Bottom line: you can't control a lottery. You can control whether you're ready when your name comes up.

My Learning Source is an independent marketplace and is not affiliated with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Texas Education Freedom Accounts or Odyssey. Program rules and amounts are set by the state and can change every year — confirm details on the official program site before making financial decisions. Family examples are composites, not real individuals.

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